A retired couple's adventures of building a custom home

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The Emotional Roller Coaster

This house-selling stuff is not for the weak of heart or the emotionally unstable or one who hates to clean! I do believe I fall in the last two categories, but I keep plugging along. 🙂

Counting this evening, we are up to six showings. When I last posted we had a second showing scheduled last week on the 16th. Guess what? They were a no-show! 😡 Well, technically, they were a no-show until they called Central Showing Service (CSS) about a half-hour after the showing window was up and we were already back home. Of course, I was upset. We had worked so hard to get the house lookin’ good inside and out before they came back for their second showing. And, then we had left the house with Goldie for 1-1/2 hours – which was becoming more and more of a feat each time. Goldie doesn’t like me vacuuming all the time. Goldie doesn’t like being taken out of her comfort zone and forced to get into the back seat of my car. Yep, it’s safe to say, Goldie doesn’t like showings. 😦

So, the real estate agent for the second showing said they were running late and had to cancel. Of course, the judgmental side of me said, “You didn’t realize you were running late during the 1-1/2 hours we were out of the house?” Of course, then I felt guilty that I was feeling judgmental, and I tried to come up with lots of reasons why we didn’t get a phone call until later. Stuff happens. Get over it. See how this emotionally unstable thing comes into play? Of course, it also helps to be married to Bill. The man is my stabilizer. He is my rock through all of this. He puts things into perspective for me. Thank you, honey!

The morning after the no-show (May 17), the real estate agent apologized for the cancellation on the CSS feedback page. And, also said that they were going to reschedule. Oh goodie!!! So, like, when are you going to reschedule? I wait. I check email hourly. I check to make sure the phone is working. Why haven’t they rescheduled yet? I wait all day and no reschedule. Then, I think why aren’t we getting any phone calls for others to see our house for the weekend? It’s only the second weekend since we listed the house. We should have someone scheduled. Why hasn’t that person in the big white SUV who keeps driving by our house really slow the last several days scheduled a showing? OMG, we are not going to sell this house!

Zero to 60 in ten seconds. Yep, I’m telling you some days my emotional stability isn’t the best. I knew I would be tested during this time. I have my stack of inspirational books including my Bible which I read each morning. I pray for patience. I pray that God will bring the right person to our house. I pray for strength to keep cleaning. I pray for a lot of people and other things that have nothing to do with this house. Believe me when I say, I pray a lot these days. 🙂

By Saturday afternoon I had given up that we would have a new showing for the weekend or that the second showing would happen. I decided to take a nap. Just as I was laying down, one of my sisters called me. She listened to me while I tried to explain my craziness. Then, suddenly, I heard a beep on the phone and saw Central Showing on the ID. I immediately said I have to go and hit the flash button. The automated voice asked if we would confirm a showing appointment for the next day at 1:00. Well, of course, I would confirm it! Hmmmm, this wasn’t the real estate agent for the second showing. It was a new showing. Wonder if it’s the white SUV people?

Guess who didn’t get a nap on Saturday? I walked out to the pole barn to tell Bill about the next day’s showing. I told him he didn’t predict that one. He asked me if I could just hit the no button when they called for showings. What? Are you crazy? Well, yes, I think Bill had reached my level of craziness. But, I understood. It’s hard for him. He is working on the cabinets. He gets going and then he has to stop and clean up the pole barn. These cabinets for the new house aren’t making themselves!

We decided we would try a new plan for getting Goldie out of the house for the Sunday showing. A couple of days before this our next door neighbor said if we wanted to let Goldie in their back yard during showings, we were welcome to do that. We weren’t sure how she would do with that by herself, so Bill decided he would sit on the neighbor’s back patio (which is totally hidden from our house with a very tall privacy fence all around) and let Goldie out in their back yard during the showing. This worked out okay. Goldie moseyed in their yard the whole time. Bill stayed hidden on the neighbor’s patio. I went to get a pedicure and to sit in one of those massage chairs to relax for a change. Bill and I text during the showing window.

Me: Is it the white SUV people?

Bill: No.

Me: How is Goldie doing?

Bill: She’s lost.

Me: Literally, lost?

Bill: Wandering.

Finally, Bill text me: “Gone” after the people left. He did say that our neighbor saw three children out in our back yard during the showing.

Did you know that you are supposed to turn on all the lights in your house for a showing? Even in the middle of a bright sunny day? Well, you are. And, we do. Bill got Goldie back home and went through the house turning off all the lights the realtor didn’t turn off. I got home shortly after that and as we put away groceries Bill and I talked. We both said we didn’t think this house was big enough for three children. So, we came to the conclusion there was another showing down the drain. But, we would like to hear what the agent would say about feedback.

The next day (May 20) came and there was no realtor feedback on the Sunday showing. Yes, another showing down the drain. However, we did get a phone call for the rescheduled second showing! They wanted to come today (Weds., May 22) at 4:45. Honestly, we didn’t think these people would come back because of the feedback after the first showing about the price and the cancellation the week before. So, maybe they are interested! Emotions – up and down, down and up!

I quit checking my phone for emails early that afternoon. I decided to give myself a break. Bill said he felt our showings would taper off. Maybe one a week. Auuucckkkkk! This wasn’t fun anymore. And, I felt like we were trapped waiting for the next showing. Always having to be ready.

Yesterday morning we woke up to tornado sirens going off a little before 3:00 am. Bill made coffee. I went down to the bottom level and turned on the TV to see what was going on. We were under a tornado watch until about 6:00 am, but our county was under a tornado warning until 3:30. It appeared it was for the southern part of our county. Shortly after 3:10-3:15, they cancelled the warning. I went and fixed me a cup of coffee since it appeared that we were up for the day. That is when I sat down and checked my email on my iPhone. There was an email from our realtor with the subject line: May have an offer coming. What?????!!!!!!

Here is what the email said:

I did have an agent call me tonight that apparently saw your property in the last few days. He said he had a family very interested. They have to determine if they want to have two kids in the same room as they have three kids. They liked the home and knew it had been maintained properly. The agent was trying to pull comps and you and I both know that is very difficult on your home. Hopefully I will hear something tomorrow but don’t get your hopes up too high. However, I need to pass on to you what I know.

Just when you think a showing went down the tubes, you might get an offer? An offer after just one showing? And, what do you mean, don’t get your hopes up too high? Really? Of course, I got my hopes up. And, I checked my email all day long. Nothing. No phone calls either. Talk about an emotional roller coaster!

It is now the morning of our second showing. Not sure what today will bring. Bill and I are counting our blessings. We have a roof over our heads and food to eat. We are healthy. We are blessed to have loving children and grandchildren. We have family and friends who are praying for us. And, honestly, we do not have a deadline to sell this house. We will begin building the new one when this one is sold.

However . . . we are getting anxious to get that pole barn built. Jim worked on our elevation plans last weekend and surveyed our property. He was planning to meet with some excavators some evening this week to show them our property and discuss what needed to be done to get that pad ready so we can get that pole barn started. Nothing like talk about an offer or a second showing to speed up the project. 🙂

I, too, worry about tornadoes — we were just talking about what are the best times to travel to avoid tornadoes and hurricanes in the Central and Southeast part of the country. Does Jill have a basement? I didn’t see any standing “second bathrooms” in the extensive coverage of the OK tornado 😦
A couple of notes on the showings — it is truly a hassle if you fight it. Some things that have worked for us in the past to make a house more desirable (or so I thought) —
have good smells thru out the house ( I always baked something small e.g. cookies, to make the kitchen inviting) — in a pinch, a piece of aluminum foil with cinnamon and vanilla in the toaster oven works really well; always keep a lovely arrangement of fresh flowers in a key spot – or flowering plants; hose down the front walk and back deck or patio about an hour before so that everything looks sparkling clean and fresh; oh, and don’t forget to give St.Joseph a pat on the dirt, or reposition him so he does his job :). Also, on a spur of the moment showing, there is nothing wrong with you being in close proximity or Cousin Billy working in the shop where you can answer any questions the new buyers may have about the house. The time for absolute privacy for the agents and buyers is on the weekly scheduled open houses – having snacks and waters available for those times is also desirable to agents. Out here we have a special day for the agents to view homes once a week and they always gravitate to the ones with the best lunches.
Good luck this week!! Try to relax and enjoy showing off your lovely home 🙂
love, ar

Arlene, in answer to your question if Jill has a basement – no, they do not. And, Jim’s parents don’t either. Jim’s parents do however have a half bathroom which has extra walls all around it. I remembered when it was being built, it looked like an elevator shaft.

Thanks for all the tips on showings. I did bake a cinnamon pastry right before our last showing. 🙂 If I have time, I might run out and buy some pull apart cookie dough and bake a small batch. We’ve been cleaning the back patio and front walkway every time before showings. Bryan sent me a beautiful fresh flower arrangement for Mother’s Day, so we used that once. We got all our other hints at what to do from the house stager.

Regarding staying close by during showings is not recommended here. It’s one thing being “unseen” next door, but never staying in the workshop. Also, we have no plans for an open house at this time. We aren’t big on those and neither is our realtor. And, broker open houses are also few and far in-between around here. I think those are definitely more prevalent on west and east coast. Not so much in the midwest.

Well, my break is over. I need to get back to cleaning the bottom level. Thanks for keeping tabs on us!